BOSTON -- In the first ordination ceremony held in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross following major renovations, Cardinal Seán O'Malley ordained 13 men to the priesthood on May 18.
The new priests -- making up the largest ordination class for the Archdiocese of Boston in over 20 years -- were Christopher Boyle, Marcos Enrique, Timothy Hynes, Brian O'Hanlon, Mark Olejnik, William Robinson, Corey Rouse, and Paul Wargovich from St. John's Seminary in Brighton; Joseph Almeida, Maciej Araszkiewicz, Przemyslaw Kasprzak, and Victor Vitug from Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary in Brookline; and Corey Bassett-Tirrell from Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston.

NORWOOD ? The priests of the Archdiocese of Boston, as well as transitional deacons just days away from joining their number, gathered at the Four Points by Sheraton on May 15 for their annual spring convocation.

BRIGHTON -- One of the largest classes yet to graduate from the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization received their diplomas during commencement exercises held at St. John's Seminary on May 21.

BEVERLY ? The Saints Academy took its third annual STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art, and Math) Night, held on May 16, in a different direction than the previous two years.
Principal Kelly Fernald said the first time the school held STREAM Night, students hardly left their own classrooms. This year, however, they were encouraged to visit students in other grades as they displayed or gave presentations about projects they had completed.

I want to begin this week noting that on Tuesday we had our annual Spring Gala to benefit Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston.
I was happy that this year they honored the outgoing board chair, Jim Gallagher. He has been a great supporter of Catholic Charities over the years -- and we were pleased that he allowed them to recognize his service at the gala.

Washington D.C. (CNA) -- Earlier this week, the state of Alabama passed legislation to make abortion a felony. The measure is the nation's strongest prohibition on abortion. It directly contradicts Roe v. Wade and is intended as a challenge to the Supreme Court case that established a nationwide "right to abortion" in 1973.

New York City, N.Y., May 22, 2019 CNA.- Following an op-ed in the New York Times claiming that all pregnancies are life-threatening, a Catholic doctor emphasized that pregnancy is a natural and healthy condition, and that complications which may arise can be treated without abortion.

MUMBAI, India (CNS) -- A court in western India has initiated an investigation into whether Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai and two of his auxiliary bishops failed to take action over the alleged sexual abuse of a minor.

ROME (CNS) -- Catholic bishops across Europe encouraged their faithful to go to the polls in late May to elect members of the European Parliament who would promote unity and take seriously the power of the European Union to do good in the world.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis led thousands of pilgrims in prayer for a Spanish missionary sister killed in Central African Republic.
While greeting French pilgrims attending his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square May 22, the pope said he was saddened to hear of the brutal murder of Daughter of Jesus Sister Ines Nieves Sancho, a 77-year-old Spanish missionary who was killed May 20 outside her convent in Nola, Central African Republic.

Denver, Colo., May 22, 2019 CNA.- A new study examining the correlation between religion and marital happiness found that women who are part of a highly religious, traditional couple are most likely to report being happy in marriage, as well as sexually satisfied in their relationship.

Baton Rouge, La., May 21, 2019 CNA.- The governor of Louisiana - a Catholic Democrat - says he will sign a bill banning abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat, if the legislation arrives on his desk.

Philadelphia, Pa., May 21, 2019 CNA.- A Catholic church in Pennsylvania was vandalized with pro-choice graffiti over the weekend as the abortion debate escalates around the country, following the passage of a major abortion law in Alabama.

Dallas, Texas, May 21, 2019 CNA.- The Bishop of Dallas says that a May 15 police raid on diocesan offices was sensationalism, traumatic, and a waste of resources.
“This event was most traumatic for those who were present in the building at the time, as some of the approximate 40 law enforcement agents approached employees in ski masks and SWAT gear,” Dallas Bishop Edward Burns said in a statement.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Holy Spirit gives Christians the courage and the strength needed to engage in a loving dialogue with God that is like the dialogue of a child with his or her father, Pope Francis said.

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Upon hearing the word "mission," most Catholics visualize hospitals or schools run by nuns in poor areas of the world, or small, tightknit parish communities in areas where Catholicism is still an alien or marginalized religion.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) -- St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson announced May 14 that he is representing five sexual abuse survivors suing the Holy See for names of clergy sexual abuse offenders worldwide and the names of church leaders who have been involved in abuse cover-up.

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Steps to open avenues for people-to-people diplomacy would go a long way to tamp down tensions between the United States and Iran, said a U.N. representative of Pax Christi International.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The withdrawal of nutrition and hydration from a patient whose body can absorb them is a "serious violation" of the person's dignity, said two Vatican officials.
"The continuation of assistance is an unavoidable obligation," said Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, and Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Any time money changes hands, there is a potential for financial misconduct, but the leaders of the Vatican's Financial Information Authority said the Holy See has made enormous strides in reducing its risks.

Washington D.C., May 16, 2019 CNA.- Earlier this week, the state of Alabama passed legislation to make abortion a felony. The measure is the nation’s strongest prohibition on abortion. It directly contradicts Roe v. Wade and is intended as a challenge to the Supreme Court case that established a nationwide “right to abortion” in 1973.

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- During his installation ceremony as the new archbishop of Washington, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory acknowledged the struggles that have recently impacted the Catholic Church and urged Catholic leaders and laity not to lose faith.

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Church officials are urging Catholics to continue to oppose a California bill that would force priests to disclose information about child sexual abuse that they hear in the sacrament of confession.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The task of journalism is to seek the truth, which requires humility and freedom of the press, Pope Francis told foreign correspondents working in Italy.
"At a time when many spread fake news, humility keeps you from peddling food spoiled by disinformation and invites you to offer the good bread of truth. The humble journalist is a free journalist: free from pressures, free from biases," he said, adding that such freedom also required courage.

VIENNA, Va. (CNS) -- When her friend's daughter was diagnosed with cancer, Holly Christensen, an Alaskan mother and oncology nurse, decided to make the little girl something pretty to wear.
She created a Rapunzel-style wig made of soft yellow yarn with flowers strewn throughout the long braid. The gift was a hit.